Frostbitten Resolve
by Sarudoshi
Summary: while reluctantly waiting out a blizzard, Kiba never expected to meet a wolf like her. read/review please. KibaOC, light TsumeOC. rating might go up for smut moments and language. you were warned.
1. Star-Crossed Scents

_**Chapter One: Star-Crossed Scents**_

* * *

"How much farther?" The complaining whine of his sister sounded behind him.

The oldest of the pack scowled at his mate.  
"Quit complaining. We're almost there." He growled at her.

She scowled up at him and huffed, folding her arms over her chest as she looked away. "Jackass." She grumbled.

He looked at her brother as he walked at the head of the pack, the chilly wind biting at his exposed face and hands.  
"You _really_ know where we're headed, this time?" He wondered of the younger male.

He nodded. "Yeah." He glanced back at him, meeting his amber eyes with a calm glacier blue stare.  
"You're not **complaining** now, are you?" He asked, a faint smirk adorning his lips.

The older wolf scoffed.  
"Bullshit; like I'd complain as much as your brat sister." He growled, smirking back.

He nodded and looked back at the cold gray skies overhead, letting the wind nip gently at his pale face and hands.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::RR::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"_**Thief**__! Come back here_!"

The gray and black wolf-dog hopped over an over-turned trash can, sprinting down into the narrow alley leading away from the butcher shop and further away from the angered butcher.

A brief bark sounded before a slate gray she-wolf joined up at the wolf-dog's flank as she crossed through a wider alley to the outskirts of the town.

'Did you get it?' The she-wolf asked of her packmate, turning an icy blue eye on the shorter wolf-dog with orange eyes.

She nodded.  
'Yeah. Barely got enough, 'cuz Dexter chased me out.' She replied, referring to the butcher's annoying brown Pomeranian.

She smirked wryly and shook her head as they neared the trees…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::FF::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A light howl sounded in the air, pricking her ears.

The black she-wolf stood from napping with the other two members of her pack, stretching her legs and yawning, flashing her sharp teeth, before she shook her fur as the remaining two members of the pack appeared from the frosted brush of their clearing.

'How'd it go?' She wondered calmly, sitting on her haunches as the gray and black wolf-dog dropped the four sausage links down to the ground at her paws.

She licked her chops absently to get rid of the pork scent on her jaws.  
'Pretty good. The butcher's dog almost caught me though. Again.' She relayed, lowering her ears slightly.

The black wolf smirked slightly and shook her head with a calm sigh.  
'Ya could've taken him, Mare. He's a walking dust-bunny, remember?' She reminded, turning her silver gaze on the wolf-dog when she lowered her ears humbly.

Mary pricked her ears and chuckled at her joke.  
'Yeah, I know, Nik.' She smiled, wagging her tail slightly.

The gray wolf shook her fur calmly.  
'So did you take another nap, then?' She asked, indicating the two slumbering wolves behind her friend.

Nikki blinked and scoffed calmly, smirking at the lanky wolf. 'Sorta. Geez, Jenni, so judgmental this early in the day.' She teased.  
Jen rolled her eyes and smirked, perking an ear when the two aforementioned males seemed to stir from sleeping.

The blonde wolf yawned widely as he opened sleepy garnet eyes to see the girls were back.  
He straightened from lying on his belly to stretch his legs and yawn a second time before he nudged the chocolate brown wolf a few feet away from him with a forepaw. 'Oi, rise and shine, Josh. The girls are back.' He growled to his brother.

The chocolate wolf that resembled a bear more than a canine opened a drowsy green eye before he grumbled something and opened both eyes, sitting up on his large paws and looking at the blonde wolf.  
'Thanks for **not** howling in my ear again, Mitch.' He growled back, lifting a paw to rub his eyes of sand before yawning widely as he stood to stretch his legs.

Mitch smirked at his older brother, rolling his garnet eyes. 'Quit complaining.' He grumbled.

Josh shook his fur before catching whiff of the sausage links. 'Lunch time,' he smiled, abandoning the younger wolf's side to check out the spoils of hunting.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::DD:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The familiar scent of wolf made him pause short of walking further down the street.

The silver wolf looked at her brother, trotting to his side, causing her mate and the other three members of their pack to stop walking.  
"What'd you smell?" She wondered gently of her older brother, perking his ears as he sniffed the air for further lead of the wolf scent.

"It's nothing." He replied quietly, earning a lifted brow from the she-wolf.

She lowered her ears slightly. "You sure?" She wondered.  
He nodded and smiled for her benefit, ruffling her hair. "Yeah; don't worry over it." He chuckled lightly.

She smirked slightly and nodded back, shooing his hand off.  
"Well alright. C'mon, let's find some food." She sighed, turning to walk back to her mate's side as they continued walking.

He looked about again.  
_The scent is faint, but it's definitely a wolf. Smells female, too._ He deduced silently, trotting after his pack…

* * *

_feedback is welcome here so lay it on me xD thanks!_


	2. By Chance Or Fate?

_**Chapter Two: By Chance or Fate...?**_

* * *

Jen looked at her friend from finishing the last piece of sausage.  
'You're not going back there, are you?' She wondered as she straightened and stretched her legs calmly.

Nikki nodded.  
'Yeah. We'll need more for later, Jen.' She replied.

Josh straightened from lounging next to the gray and black wolf-dog, looking at his pack leader.  
'I'll go with you.' He offered, knowing his height in his human guise would intimidate anyone who dare question the black wolf.

She shook her head.  
'I'll be fine on my own. Thanks for the offer, though.' She smiled at him, nosing his cheek.

Mary looked at her.  
'Be careful.' She said.

Nikki nodded. 'I will.' She smiled again, turning to sprint out of the clearing.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::HH::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The brown poof-ball Pomeranian resting in the cardboard box with the red cushion looked at the two wolves – chestnut brown pup and midnight black she-wolf – with wary black eyes, his ears lowered fearfully as a soft growl brewed in his small throat.

The brown wolf looked at him and smiled lightly as his older-sister-figure fished in her coat pocket for cash to pay the butcher for meat. "He's a cute dog." He noted calmly.

The butcher looked at the younger boy and smiled slightly. "Aye, he's a good little alarm system." He replied.

The black she-wolf took the wrapped meat and smiled gratefully.  
"Thanks for the meat, mister." She said, perking the brown wolf's ears as he straightened to follow her when she turned away to open the door.

The white, tan, silver and gray wolves had gone to check out the rest of the town for some sort of shelter for the night, splitting up the pack at least two hours ago.

The white wolf had scowered the east end of the town and found nothing that wasn't occupied, now walking down a narrow alley with his hands in his jacket pockets.

The scent of a foreign she-wolf still bugged him; he had no idea why it did, but it just did.  
He was starting to become frustrated.

The distant sound of a door banging open pricked his ears; a small dog was barking like mad as a human was swearing at the top of his lungs.

"Get back here, mongrel!" The human shouted as he could hear the sound of rushing footsteps in one of the alleys nearby.  
He perked up slightly as the same scent of a she-wolf flooded his nostrils again.

He paused short of crossing into another alley as a blur of black crashed into him, sending them both to the snowy ground…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::BB:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

She opened an eye stiffly to look up and blearily see a head of brown hair staring down at her, her vision coming more into focus as she saw a pair of glacier greenish-blue eyes looking at her; the vision faded until she saw a white wolf with amber eyes hovering over her, his amber eyes curious and guarded at the same time.

She growled loud and kneed him in the stomach sharply, sending him back against the alley wall as she scrambled to her feet to stand against him, her tail high like a flag.

The white wolf growled at her.  
'What was that for?' He demanded, flashing his teeth and lifting his tail out of reflex.

She scoffed and bared her teeth as her ears fell to her head.  
'**You** ran into me, you tell me!' She snapped coldly, a low growl echoing in her throat.

He glared at her, bristling.  
'**I** ran into you? **You're** the one who was running from the humans.' He growled, inwardly noting to himself that she appeared to be either an alpha or a very domineering loner.

She scowled, remembering the meat she'd stolen and stiff-leggedly walked past him to gather it in her jaws. She looked at him with cold silver eyes. 'What's your name?' She wondered.

He looked at her, slightly thrown off at her sudden question, before he scoffed quietly. 'Kiba.' He replied.

She nodded. 'Nikki.' She returned.

He pricked an ear to see that she'd calmed her stiff-legged stance somewhat.

'So just what's a white wolf doing in this town? Can't be hunting for pathetic house-dogs, can you?' She wondered sardonically, shifting her weight from one front paw to the other as she stared at him.

He scoffed.  
'Just passing through. And it's not like dogs taste very good.' He growled in the same tone.

She perked her ears.  
'Where're you headed?' She wondered curiously.

'Well, it's not just me…' He began.

A low growl sounded before a silver she-wolf appeared, surprising the black wolf; her garnet eyes narrowed suspiciously as she went to the white wolf's side.

He looked at his sister. 'What're you doing here?' He demanded curiously.

She threw a look at the black wolf before scowling at him.  
'Idiot, I was looking for you! The others were starting to wonder where you ran off to.' She scolded.

His ears lowered briefly. 'Sorry. Didn't mean to make you worry…'

'You have a pack?' She asked curiously, perking both siblings' ears as they looked at her.

The silver wolf scowled.  
'Yeah, what's it to you?' She growled back.

He nudged his sister. 'Calm yourself.' He looked at her.  
'Yeah, where's yours?' He replied to her.

She glanced at the defensive younger she-wolf. 'Not that far away. Just came to get food.' She answered.  
'Do you have a place to take shelter for the night?' She asked; her mouth moved before she could even think of what to say next.

Both siblings looked at her again. 'Not really. We're leaving before nightfall, though…' He replied, making to turn and walk away.

'Brother, it would be wise if we took shelter for a while; that last snow storm will probably bring more soon.' The silver wolf noted, pricking his ears as he looked at her to see she was leery of taking shelter with a strange wolf pack, but she deemed it a reasonable idea.

He seemed to sigh. 'All right.' He looked at the black wolf again.  
'We'll take up on your offer.' He obliged rather reluctantly, despite the fact that the subconscious part of his mind seemed gleeful about being around the black she-wolf he – although he refused to admit it out loud – found attractive, despite her tough exterior.

She nodded. 'Follow me, then.' She replied quietly, picking up the meat from the snowy ground at her paws and taking off at a run through the alley towards the outskirts.

He looked at his sister and nodded as they followed the black wolf's lead.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::RR::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A loud howl sounded, alerting the four wolves to their leader's return to their clearing.

The blonde wolf straightened first from lounging near the slate gray she-wolf, perking his ears as the foreign yet familiar scent of stranger wolves mingled with the black wolf's scent.

Sure enough, the black she-wolf came into view, her sprinting paws coming to a halt when she saw her pack gathered where they'd been a few hours ago.

The gray wolf looked past her at the white wolf and silver wolf at her heels, her eyes throwing a second look at the handsome wolf with amber eyes.

The blonde wolf growled and raised his tail when locking gaze with the strange male, his garnet eyes narrowing.

He met his brazen stare and returned the challenge, his lip curling into a snarl as he stood his full height to silently say he was leader.

The chocolate brown wolf stiff-leggedly walked forward to stand next to his blonde brother, his green eyes sharp as he eyed the white wolf's bold stance.

'Do I want to know?' Jen wondered first, looking between the bristling males and her leader.

She sort of sighed.  
'Everyone, these are Kiba and Eri. Their pack is going to stick around here for a few days.' She informed patiently, looking at her pack-brothers. 'Kiba, Eri, these are Mitch, Josh, Jen, and Mary.'  
She bumped the white wolf's hip with hers as she walked forward. 'Calm yourself, wolf boy.' She growled, keeping her tail poised in mid-air as she passed him.

Kiba reluctantly eased his stance at her words and scowled after her, looking at his sister. 'Did you call the others yet?' He wondered.

Eri nodded, 'they should be here soon…' She replied, quieting and perking her ears.

Four wolves came near the clearing, one gray, one brown, one tan, and one a midnight color.

'I thought I smelled more wolves!' The pudgy tan wolf declared lightly as they drew closer to the pack of five, his tail wagging as he eyed the three females.  
'Three pretty babes, that is!' He said playfully.

Mary and Jen exchanged a look before they laughed gently.

The midnight-colored wolf elbowed his side, 'don't be such a pervert, idiot.' She growled, her clear blue eyes shooting him a look.  
The tan wolf smiled cheesily at his mate. 'Sorry, Blue.' He apologized.

The gray wolf looked at the two males of the stranger pack and he snorted slightly.  
'The way Eri was howling, I was under the impression there would be a pack that looks stronger than this.' He mused in a gruff tone.

Nikki huffed and flashed her teeth, 'Yeah, and who the hell're you to say that?' She wondered in a growl.

Tsume returned the huff.  
'None of your business, brat.' He growled.

Eri nipped his shoulder, scowling into his gold eyes.  
'Knock it off, Tsume. They're offering their place to us for a few days; you should at least be grateful.' She scolded.

He stared into her annoyed garnet eyes and quieted, huffing and flicking his ears absently at her scolding. 'Fine, whatever.' He grumbled.

Kiba flashed his sister a thankful smile, looking at the black she-wolf. 'I see you've already become acquainted with Tsume. These are Hige, Blue, and Toboe.'  
His eyes sort of turned reluctant, as if he didn't want to do something that would go against his pride. 'Thank you, for offering to let us rest here.' He thanked her with a slight nod.

Nikki raised a brow before she nodded back and smiled a little. 'You're welcome.' She said…

* * *

_review please. thanks! ^^_


	3. Starlight: Part One

_**Chapter Three - Starlight: Part One**_

* * *

Stars shone brilliantly above the leafless canopies.

She looked up at the stars and vainly hoped the moon was going to come out; her ears perked and she looked behind her to see the white wolf coming to join her in her star-gazing.

He slightly hesitated on saying something, 'I just came to see where you were; thought you ran off to the town again.' He mused, his amber eyes shining in the darkness.

She nodded and smirked slightly, looking up at the sky again. 'Nah, I've been here, just thinking.' She replied quietly.

He sat down on his haunches at her side, his gaze leveling at the shining lights in the blackened heavens.  
'What were you thinking about?' He asked.

She smiled a little as she recognized the north star. 'Not much.' She lowered her gaze and looked at him.  
'Hey, you never told me where you were headed, once you leave this place.' She pointed out, perking his ears.

He looked at her with something like a wistful glaze in his amber eyes. 'To Paradise.' He said.

She lifted a brow, curious. 'Paradise?'

He nodded and looked up at the stars again.  
'We're trying to get to Paradise.' His eyes lowered slightly. 'We tried in the past, but it didn't work out and we basically lost everything, including the beacon that was said to lead us to Paradise.' He explained; his voice was subdued once he finished explaining his tale to her.

Her silver eyes looked sympathetic; she looked up at the stars.  
'Sounds like a rough journey.' She mused aloud.

He shrugged and smiled a little.  
'It wasn't too bad; I made friends along the way,' he said, indicating his pack, 'and we ended up finding each other after our journey was over.'

She nodded and smiled slightly. 'Are all wolves supposed to find Paradise?' She asked.

He looked at her.  
'If you think you can make the journey, then yeah.' He replied.

She looked at him and smirked, 'I'm pretty sure I could.' She lowered her gaze slightly at the ground. 'My pack, though, I don't know if they'd want to up and leave this forest to go look for Paradise.' She mused.

He raised a brow slightly.  
'You're the leader, right? If you want to go find Paradise, I doubt they won't follow you.' He guessed.

She lowered her gaze again and huffed.  
'Yeah, maybe you're right.' She laughed a little. 'Kind of ironic, considering I was ready to fight you this morning when we ran into each other in town.' She mused again.

He smirked and huffed as well, 'I felt the same. Though for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure I could've beaten you at a fair fight.' He quipped, the smirk playing on the corners of his chops.

She raised a brow and then smirked. 'Oh really?' She wondered, her voice dropping to a growl.

Before he knew it, she rolled him onto the snowy ground, her paws pinning his shoulders down as she looked down at him triumphantly, her tail wagging.

He blinked his surprised amber eyes and saw her grin, her silver eyes as bright as the stars overhead.

'So what was that about beating me in a fight?' She wondered lightly.

He made a face before a light bulb turned on in his head; he growled and punted her off, rolling in the snow until he had her on her back with her belly in the air and her neck exposed to his teeth.

She looked up at him with slight bewilderment, annoyed that he rolled her onto her back instead, his paws pinning her to the snowy ground beneath her.

He wagged his tail in the air, smirking.  
'Try to keep your guard up, wolf girl.' He growled.

She made a face before she pushed him off, grunting and leaping onto his back, grabbing his ear in her teeth and holding onto him as he tried to get her off.

He rolled, knocking her off his back and making her yelp slightly as she rolled to land on her side.

He padded closer to her, his amber eyes somber. 'Nikki…?' He began.

She struck, extending her left hind foot at his gut and tossing him back as he fell back in the snow a few yards away.

She pinned him to the ground, a growl in her throat as she bared her teeth threateningly, her lip contorted into a snarl as she stared down at him.

He met her stare boldly, slightly panting from scuffling with her.

She whined softly and smirked, grabbing his ear and tugging with a growl.

He chuckled, looking up into her shining silver eyes amidst the soft black fur that covered her body.

She looked down at his strangely gentle amber eyes, her insides shrinking at finding he looked exceptionally handsome like that.

Nikki released his ear, shaking her fur of snow as she reluctantly got off him.  
Kiba watched her walk away, getting to his feet and also shaking snow from his fur, before he followed her lead back to the clearing.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::HH:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Slight heat dashed across her cheeks at seeing him shift into his human disguise.

Wild brown hair framed his pale face and those same glacier blue-greenish eyes stared calmly at her; a loose white shirt hugged his well-built torso, halfway covered by a faded brown leather jacket with green on the cuffs and high collar; faded blue jeans covered his slightly-lanky legs and black sneakers protected his feet.

Great Moon, he was very handsome in his human guise.

She shook her head and sighed.

'No, you're not going like that.' She said, earning a look from the male alpha.  
He sort of made a face, earning an amused look from the black she-wolf.  
"And why not? It'd be easier if I went like this." He indicated his human illusion.

She smiled slightly, straightening to her feet from lying on her belly.  
'Because, O stubborn one, the people in the town have already seen your human face. If they see you again, lurking around up to no good, they'll get suspicious.'  
A light glint appeared in her silver eyes. 'They haven't seen my face, though.' She added, straightening to her full height and shifting.

He watched her limbs stretch into a human woman's frame and he widened his eyes slightly, a slight blush staining his pale cheeks.

Straight jet black hair framed her olive-skinned face, falling to her shoulders gracefully as striking sky blue eyes smiled smugly at him; a navy blue parka covered her lithe torso, partially covering a loose gray shirt that had buttons adorning the low collar that flashed the skin of her slightly ample breasts' cleavage; black wool leggings covered her legs, a black belt with silver studs hugged her waist, and scuffed black combat boots protected her feet.

She was beautiful even in her human form; he cleared his throat, catching the rather smug grin easily overtake her full lips as her sky blue eyes smiled.

"Okay, fine, you can do it. Come on, let's get moving." Kiba grumbled, reluctant to allow defeat at the hands of a cocky she-wolf, as he led the way out of the clearing.

Nikki laughed softly and smiled after his retreating form with a shake of her head; "typical male," she mused aloud, bounding after him into the snow…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::PP::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He poked his head up from behind a broken down car, amber eyes surveying the calm main street of the town.

She also poked her head out, looking at him as he ducked back behind the car and nodding.  
"I'll go like this, you sneak around the alleys; I think the butcher hasn't opened the shop yet." She instructed quietly.

He nodded and smirked slightly at her, his wolf face lightening as he wagged his tail, 'You got it, wolf girl.' He growled in the same tone, disappearing from her side at a quick run.

She watched him run into the nearest alley and smiled to herself as she let her eyes linger on the raised white tail that bobbed in the cold air like a flag.

"Confident one, isn't he?" She muttered to herself, straightening to walk into town, slipping her hands into the pockets of her blue parka as she hummed an unfamiliar song aloud.

* * *

_review please. thanks!_

_["__**Starlight**__" - MUSE - Black Holes & Revelations (2006)]_


	4. Starlight: Part Two - Electrify My Life

_**Chapter Four: Starlight - Part Two: Electrify My Life**_

* * *

The butcher perked up as a young woman walked into the shop, the little bell over the door making a noise as she entered and let the door close behind her wake.

The Pomeranian Dexter perked his ears and growled softly at the black wolf hiding beneath her human façade, seeing her shoot him a cold silver eyed look that made him cower; he quieted and tucked his head into his paws.

"What can I do for you, young lady?" The butcher asked as she walked up to the front counter and surveyed the meat.

She vainly prayed her stomach wouldn't growl very loud as she eyed the beef and then the freshly put out ham. "I'm just browsing; my grandmother said she wanted me to find some good meat for her to cook dinner tonight, and I heard your meat is the best around here." She explained in a calm voice, looking back at a slab of lamb chops displayed to the right.

His face lightened at hearing such good recommendations, a smile showing on his blotchy face. "Is that right? Well in that case, pick whatever you want." He said.

She returned the smile. "Great! Hmm, now which one… Geez, it's so hard to choose! Got any good recommendations?" She asked innocently, her blue eyes hopeful…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::UU::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He slipped inside the storehouse where the meat was, hearing his stomach growl loud when he laid his sights on all the meat.

He made sure to keep the door cracked open so he could bolt out as soon as possible; he grabbed six ropes of sausage, finding a bag hanging on the back of the door and using it as he loaded at least ten slabs of beef into it, hooking the sausage ropes around his shoulder, grabbing five full-sized chickens, six slabs of pork, seven hams, and stuffing them into the bag.

His breath came out in a soft white fog as he looked down at the food gathered in the bag, placing the ropes of sausage into it before tying it shut, hoisting it over his shoulders and making to leave the storehouse.  
He caught sight of a large piece of pork and his stomach growled again.

He silenced it, torn on taking the pork slab or just taking what he already had.

The sound of footsteps perked his sensitive ears.

"Okay, okay, I'll see what I've got back in here!" The voice of a man – most likely the butcher – sounded nearby, the footsteps coming closer to the storehouse.

He swore under his breath, his muscles tensing for a spring as he readied himself to bolt.

"Wait, I think I found something in the display, sir!" Her familiar voice quieted his brooding mind; he pressed his ear to the cold door.

The footsteps receded back to the back door of the shop.

He poked his head out to see the butcher was returning inside, a soft sigh escaping his mouth as he bolted out of the storehouse into the snow, carrying the bag as he went.

Once he was back near the broken down car they'd first stopped at, he set the bag down on the ground.

A loud howl escaped his throat as he signaled her to return.

The man grimaced and scowled at the window. "Stupid wolves, always making such a damn racket…" He began.

She smiled at the butcher. "I just remembered, my grandmother told me to go get some bread too. I'll come back, honest!" She declared, turning to sprint out the door.

Dexter barked angrily after the she-wolf's retreat into the cold snow, following and barking louder as she dropped her human guise and kept running on four legs.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::YY:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A responding howl rang out, making relief cool his slightly anxious nerves.

The black wolf appeared shortly, a triumphant light shining in her silver eyes.  
'Let's go!' She barked, bounding for the trees; he grabbed the bag and flew after her dash further away from the small town…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::RR::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Once they neared the trees she was too ecstatic, her tail wagging on end.

He laughed, involuntarily shifting to his human guise to see her almost bouncing on the balls of her feet in giddy excitement and retained adrenaline from pulling such a stunt.

She laughed and howled reflexively, also shifting before she jumped into his arms in an embrace; he caught her, yelping slightly when they fell back into the cold snow.

Kiba laughed again, grinning up at her happy face, his blue eyes light and gentle at the same time as his hands held her ribs reflexively when she landed on him.

Nikki laughed softly, her cheeks pink from the cold as well as from crouching over the handsome male wolf on her hands and knees.

The laughter died out slowly between the two alphas, being consumed by a rather awkward silence that filled the cold air.

His blue eyes turned thoughtful as he released her ribs of one hand to brush specks of melting snow from her right cheek.  
She blushed again, her black hair falling down her shoulders softly as she lifted one hand from supporting her weight to hold his warm hand to her skin; her blue eyes softened to look like warm summer skies.

He raised his face to steal a kiss from her, surprising the she-wolf at his move that caught her off-guard.

The blush reddened on her cheeks as she kissed back softly, curious but cautious at the same time; she'd never kissed anyone before, let alone a male wolf as handsome and kind and calm as he was.

Kiba wanted to howl at capturing her soft full lips in his grasp, quelling the would-be howl with a soft noise in the back of his throat.

Nikki shivered slightly and not because of the cold; she kissed again, wagging her tail in the air.

He gingerly sat up, hearing her squeak softly as she made to back away from him and get up; he caught her wrist, making her look at him confusedly.

She blushed slightly and let him pull her back down, her hands holding onto the front of his loose shirt as she pressed her mouth to his own, her warm mouth on his making a shudder roll down his spine.

Kiba raised his left hand to cradle the back of her head, his fingers weaving in the thick locks of black hair as his right hand's fingers dug gently into the small of her back, as he kissed back and held her to his chest.

Nikki's fingers tightened on his shirt as she whined a little under her breath for more.

He chuckled softly, his throat being filled with the chuckle, as he gingerly and reluctantly released her mouth of his own, seeing her grip slacken from his shirt and she pulled away to gasp for air.

She panted softly, her breath coming out in a hazy white fog, seeing his breath also come out as a soft fog; she grinned slowly at him, at the hazy yet content expression in his eyes.

Kiba flashed a lazy grin, stroking her cheek gently and letting her hold his hand to her cheek.  
Nikki pressed her forehead to his, letting his arms wrap around her and hold her close as she hugged his neck.

He tipped his head up to plant a soft kiss to her forehead, the lazy grin stretching across his gentle mouth.  
"Let's get back before the meat freezes again." He suggested, recalling the bag of meat that would soon gather hungry birds and animals to it.

She sort of made a face and nodded, reluctantly slipping from his arms to straighten to her feet; she extended a hand to him, offering to help him up.

Kiba took her hand and stood, letting her trot away from his side to grab the bag of meat from the ground and hoist it over her shoulder.  
Nikki looked at him and smiled playfully.

"C'mon, lover boy." She teased, bounding away towards the clearing; he eyed the curve in her hips and smiled, following shortly.

* * *

_review please. thanks!_

_["__**Starlight**__" - MUSE, Black Holes & Revelations (2006)]_


	5. Starlight: Part Three - Your Innocence

_**Chapter Five: Starlight - Part Three: Your Innocence (is Mine)**_

* * *

Both the tan wolf and the blonde wolf's jaws dropped at seeing the "spoils" of the two leaders' raid on the butcher shop's storehouse.  
'Y-you've gotta be kidding me…' The chocolate brown wolf stammered, his mouth beginning to water.

The black she-wolf wagged her tail and laughed softly.  
'Nope, not in the slightest.' She said proudly.

The gray wolf looked from her to the white wolf.  
'So who gets first dibs? You're both leaders, here.' He wondered.

He shrugged and nodded to his fellow alpha. 'Ladies first.' He said, flashing a sideways grin at her.

Her tail wagged again and she smiled at him, nodding as she reached into the bag and pulled out one of the slabs of beef and walking away from the bag to go eat.  
He grabbed one of the chickens and followed, allowing the others to get what was left.

'Hey, I wanted that!' Mitch barked indignantly as Hige snatched a particularly large slab of pork from under his jaws.

'There's plenty of sausage to get, Mitch, relax,' Josh calmed his brother, already holding several links of sausage in his mouth.

Eri rolled her eyes patiently, sharing a look with Jen as they were already eating a chicken and large slab of beef. 'So how long has your pack been here?' She asked the slate-colored female, gnawing absently on one of the leg bones from the chicken.

Jen shrugged, looking at her calm leader.  
'A few years, I think. Nikki and Mary were the first ones here, and then I saw Mary in town, and Mitch and Josh joined up a few weeks after that.' She smiled thoughtfully. 'What about yours; Nikki said you guys were headed somewhere, but she wasn't specific.' She asked, tilting her head to one side.

She smiled slightly, chewing on a particularly big chunk of breast meat from the chicken. 'We're going to Paradise. We tried in the past, but it didn't end well so we've been granted a chance to start over and look for it again.' She nodded slightly to the white wolf talking with the black she-wolf, 'my brother, he's been dead set on getting there since we first started the journey.' She added quietly.

She coughed, shaking her fur reflexively, looking at her in slight surprise. 'Kiba's your brother? I didn't figure…' She began.

Eri laughed quietly and shrugged.  
'Yeah, he's my older brother.' She smirked slightly. 'What's wrong; didn't figure he was related, did you?' She asked.

Jen shook her head. 'I didn't figure someone as handsome as him was related to anyone in your pack.' She mused.

She chuckled. 'Yeah, he's a looker, I know; part of the reason we don't come into contact with humans, mostly because he's too handsome for his own good.' She looked at the black she-wolf as she smiled at the white wolf and laughed. 'I think he's caught her eye, though.' She said quietly, perking the lanky she-wolf's ears.

She followed her line of gaze and her eyes softened.  
'It looks like it.' She bit off a strip of beef from the slab, chewing. 'The blonde wonder isn't gonna be too happy about that,' she thought aloud.

She raised a brow. 'He likes her?' She guessed.

She nodded. 'He's kind of had a crush on her since he and his brother joined our pack; most of the time he's soft on her, though, but sometimes I can tell he likes her too much.' She mused.

Eri followed her line of vision towards the blonde and tan wolves that were playing tug-of-war with a bone from one of the hams, playful growls ensuing from the near-look-a-like males; she smiled slightly.

Jen glanced over at the tough-looking gray wolf eating near the bear-sized chocolate wolf, a smile flickering in her eyes.  
'So Mr. Tough-Guy is your mate, then.' She guessed of the younger female, meeting her thoughtful garnet gaze.

She nodded and her eyes softened.  
'Yep, that's him. He's kind of a jerk, but deep down he's got a good heart.' She replied with a shrug.

She smiled slightly, looking over at the orange eyed half-wolf chatting happily with the brown and midnight-colored wolves, her tail wagging.  
_This could work_, she thought…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::OO:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The snow stopped falling as the twilight died slowly for the darkness of night that descended on the cold earth.

He silently padded over to find the female leader star-gazing again; he smiled slightly to himself, a light bulb turning on in his head as a scheming smile splayed across his mouth.

Silently moving behind her, –and vainly praying the wind wouldn't blow in his direction and give his position away or he'd be screwed— he neared her back.  
He tackled her, making her yelp as they rolled in the snow.

She laughed then at recognizing her "attacker", finding herself on her back with her belly in the air; she looked up at him and smiled.

He grinned triumphantly, his tail swishing in the air lazily as he stared down at her bright silver gaze that reminded him of stars.

Nikki smiled again, her gaze turned teasing.  
'What're you planning to do now, then?' She wondered in a sultry tone.

Kiba watched as she shifted, following suit and shifting too with a soft chuckle, his human hands pinning her shoulders into the snowy ground. "Good question. Hmm…" He mused, seeing her continue to smirk at him.

He ducked to kiss her, his hair brushing against her cheeks and closed eyelids, as his warm mouth took hers captive.

She reached to curl her fingers in his flurry-covered wild hair, pressing her tongue against his as an invite to do more.

Kiba complied and allowed his tongue to explore her mouth, feeling her hands in his hair tug gently on the strands, as he held onto her shoulders.

Nikki blushed and shivered, her back arching reflexively as their tongues wrestled for dominance, soft growls reverberating through his throat as she returned the soft growls with ones of her own.

They finally broke apart, gasping for air and panting softly.

He reared to sit back on his knees, reluctant to leave her wanting mouth so soon, her breath coming out in a soft fog into the air; the wolf in him groaned at seeing her look so warm and beautiful.

She blinked and then blushed when he towered over her on his hands and knees, his mouth leaving hot trails down her neck as he allowed his hands to wander over her torso.

Kiba kissed from her neck to her collar bone slowly, the fingers of his left hand idly unbuttoning the three buttons of her shirt, his right hand holding onto her right thigh as she squirmed slightly in his grip, a soft moan escaping her tingling lips.

Nikki reached to bury her fingers in the wild mop of brown hair on his head, yelping reflexively when his hand at her shirt reached past the thin layer to cup a breast, her body squirming more as his fingers rubbed the mound and coaxed the nipple into slow erectness.

"K-Kiba…!" She moaned again, clenching her teeth as the kiss he left on her throat shifted into a bite as his namesake sharp canines sank into her skin and he gingerly pulled his teeth from the mark, his tongue gently licking the small trickle of blood that dripped from her new "wound".

He heard her whine softly in reluctant submission –music to his ears—as he continued to knead her left breast before switching to the right one, each rub from his fingers making her whine and moan, her breath coming out as a soft fog into the air as she panted softly.

Nikki grinded her hips against his, looking up at the strange hungry look that crossed his handsome face, her hand in his hair pulling his mouth to hers into a hard, loving kiss.

Kiba groaned loud at how wonderful she tasted, kissing back passionately; his own thighs rubbed against hers as he continued to tease her breasts.

She shivered when she sensed his manhood throb each time her hips rubbed his, releasing his hair at last to let her hand drift south.

He was so caught up in kissing her silly that when she unzipped his jeans and reached inside to grasp his throbbing manhood, he growled in surprise and almost jerked away from her needing mouth.

Nikki began rubbing, hearing him hiss and growl between his sharp canines as he pushed into her palm and panted softly.

Kiba jerked her hand out from the confines of his jeans, making her blink innocently up at him, his hand at her breasts yanking her belt off as he pulled the hem of her leggings down.

"K-Kiba…" She stammered, blushing heavily when he pulled his jeans down and let her see him; she reached to grasp his manhood before he growled again and pinned her to the ground, dominance reeking off his body that was something she didn't feel like arguing against; she whined softly in submission, the wolf in her showing her belly to him in compliance.

He held onto her hips and heard her gasp when he entered, a loud moan escaping him when she clamped down and squeezed; he growled softly in both pleasure and warning for her to quiet down, hilting and making her moan loud at being filled with him.

Moans and whimpers escaped her as he took her, the wolf in him howling triumphantly at claiming this beautiful she-wolf that shared in his familiar burden of leading a pack, this beautiful she-wolf that took him by surprise, this beautiful she-wolf that he so desperately wanted to take to Paradise.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::FF::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Birds chirped in the trees nearby.

She opened an eye stiffly to see cold blue skies overhead, the sun being blocked from shining in her eyes by thick clouds she was grateful for.

Someone breathed evenly near her, making her smile to herself and snuggle into that person's body.

A protective arm draped across her waist, squeezing minutely in their sleep.  
She opened both eyes alertly at feeling the arm hold her waist, a red blush staining her cheeks as she looked into the sleeping face of a male wolf.

It wasn't just any male wolf, either: _it was __**Kiba**_.

He slept soundly, his strong shoulders moving with each breath escaping and entering his nostrils, his wild brown hair mussed and wilder than usual, melting snow making various locks of hair glisten in the morning light.

Nikki shivered; Sweet Moon, he was beautiful when he slept.

She tentatively reached to stroke his wild hair but pulled her hand back; she looked at her body to see his jacket covered most of her torso, bunching up an inch or two below her thighs.

He really had done it a bit too hard; her muscles ached dully and screamed at her to never move another inch for as long as she lived, and she stroked her neck absently to feel some bruises on her throat.

She reflexively sniffed her wrist, blushing more and allowing another shiver: he'd mated with her some time during their love making, she realized.

Great Moon, she was his mate now!

The wolf in her howled joyously at recognizing this factoid; she grinned slowly at realizing that she was now mated to this handsome wolf that had made every muscle in her being ache for him last night.

She was so excited about knowing this new reality that she didn't notice his eyes had opened.

He smiled sleepily, seeing her look at him blankly and then blush, her cheeks becoming stained with a dark pink he found made her look too adorable.

"I see you're happy this early in the morning." He mused wryly, his morning voice making the wolf in her whine softly at recognizing his kind tone.

She blushed more and nodded, smiling at him. "I am, yeah." She lowered her gaze. "It's just that I've never done this before. Sleep with someone, I mean." She muttered.

Kiba released her waist to cup her cheek, seeing her meet his gaze as he smiled slowly; he pressed his lips to her forehead tenderly. "I was your first." He guessed, seeing her nod humbly.

Nikki shivered and snuggled into his chest, holding onto him; he held her close and traced lines along the various scratches he had left on her shoulders, feeling her quiver with each touch he left on her skin.

He nosed the crown of her head.  
"Beautiful wolf girl," he murmured softly.

She blushed, smiling proudly.  
"Just yours." She remarked in the same tone.

Kiba chuckled and smiled at her, nodding.  
"Damn right." He said, smirking softly before he pressed his lips to hers warmly.

Nikki shivered again and curled her fingers in his hair, kissing lovingly.

He ran a lone finger down her spine, feeling her quiver at his touch, as she pressed her mouth into his in need.

She felt him hold her cheek as he kissed harder, a soft growl escaping her as she rolled him onto his back.

Kiba looked up at her with slight surprise, his blue eyes half-sleepy and half-aroused as he watched her sit up on his body, his jacket sliding off her soft shoulders to the ground as she grinded against him.

Nikki sank down onto him, hearing him growl as her hips rolled to adjust to him once more, her body easily becoming accustomed to him as it did last night.

He moaned with her, clawing at her hips as the sun began to come out…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::BB::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The midnight-colored wolf blinked twice as she saw the pair come into view.  
"What's up, Blue…?" The pudgy wolf wondered as he stepped closer to her side, his garnet eyes following her line of vision and widening slightly.

The black she-wolf walked at their fearless leader's side, her hand held in his own; they both could smell the familiar scent of a claimed wolf radiating off the female.

Hige's eyes calmed and he smiled to himself; _it's about time y'got laid, Kiba_, he thought.

Kiba nodded to his packmates as they returned to the clearing's trees, dragging the black wolf along by his hand; she looked at them and smiled innocently, following him.

"Hige, y'don't think…" Blue began.

"Dunno, but one thing's for sure: it's about damn time he got laid." Hige replied, his arm around the midnight-colored wolf's shoulders squeezing gently.

The blonde wolf was next to notice, his garnet eyes widening slightly when the black wolf passed him; the white wolf's scent was on her, a subliminal sign that she had been mated overnight by said fearless alpha.

His fur bristled slightly as he caught the white wolf's cold blue gaze and held it in his own; he looked smug and protective at the same time, his blue gaze tearing away from the blonde's.

The entirety of the clearing was fumigated with the scent of a claimed wolf, alerting each member of both packs.

Nikki looked at Kiba and nodded slightly. "Kiba and I talked, and I decided that I want to go find Paradise."  
She looked at the members of her pack, her friends, her siblings; her eyes softened. "If you want to stay here, you can; I won't stop you." She added in the same calm tone.

The clearing fell silent for several moments.

Mary straightened and nodded to her friend, a calm light shining in her brown eyes.  
"I'm going with you." She said.

Jen stood as well, her green-blue eyes smiling at the black wolf.  
"If it gets me away from this boring place, you know I'm going." She chimed.

The brown and blonde wolf brothers shared a look; Josh stood his height, his easy hazel eyes beaming. "Count me in, too; you're still my pack leader, even though you're like my sister." He said in a light voice.

The blonde briefly shot a look over at the white wolf before he stood as well, his baby blue eyes looking into the she-wolf's sky-colored gaze.  
"I'd rather follow you to the ends of the world than rot here in this place." Mitch added.

Nikki nodded and beamed at her pack, smiling; she looked at him. "When do we leave?" She wondered.

"Great, now there's two of them…" Tsume muttered more to himself.

Eri chuckled.

* * *

_review please. thanks! xD_


	6. As Long as We Live, Pt1

_**Chapter Six: As Long as We Live, Part One**_

* * *

A bullet grazed past the brown pup's head; he yelped and sprinted away down the alley.

"Get him!" One of the men barked as he followed the wolf, his three hunting buddies following shortly at his heels.

A loud bark rang out as a black and gray wolf-like dog hurtled into the man in the lead, knocking his rifle out of his hands and throwing him into the snow.

'Mary,' Toboe began in relief.

'Let's go, now, Toboe!' She interjected, grabbing his shoulder gently in her teeth before she led the rest of the way at a sprint, her larger paws pounding into the snow beneath her.

The brown wolf looked over his shoulder at the slightly baffled humans before he flew after the older half-breed's lead further away from the town back to the clearing where their gathered packs were waiting…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::NN:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A loud howl rang out, alert and worried.

The blonde wolf scowled. 'Now what?' He wondered as the brown wolf and black-and-gray half wolf came into view.

Mary skidded to a halt just short of colliding with the blonde male, panting as her tongue hung out from one side of her mouth.

Nikki perked her ears and padded to her friend's side, 'What happened?' She asked.

Toboe bent to grip his knees, panting as well from running so fast.  
"The humans, they… they tried to shoot me. Mary saved me, though." He looked from the black she-wolf to the white wolf. "I think they know there's more of us here." He added.  
Jen and Eri shared a worried look.

"I knew we should've left last night," Tsume grumbled.

"Hige, grab what's left of the food and put it back in the bag. Let's get moving, before they get here." Kiba instructed, tossing a few left over sausage links at the tan wolf as he gathered the bag.

He placed the remainder of the meat into the bag and carried it over his shoulder as the two packs fled through the trees.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::RR::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Wind whipped at her hair.

She shook her fur, throwing the hood of her parka over her head and grimacing slightly as the wind stung at her exposed cheeks and fingers.

He hooked his hand around her elbow from the side, making her perk up and look at him to see he smiled invitingly at her; she returned the smile and let him wrap his arm around her waist as he pulled her to his side, offering warmth.

The fur of her parka's hood tickled his cheek but he ignored it, hugging her waist gently.  
"So where're we going to go now? Those humans probably won't follow us in this blizzard." She wondered.

He looked past the flurries of cold snow to the distant shadows of a mountain past the trees.  
"We'll head to the mountain and hope the blizzard dies down when we get there." He replied.

She nodded and kept her head bowed against his chest, shivering slightly…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::CC:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Thankfully, his hunch had been correct.

The two packs found shelter in the form of an abandoned bear's cave that was near the path leading to the mountain, trees blanketed by white snow concealing the entrance of the cave to prying eyes that dared wander through the forest.

The wind had died down at last after a few hours of hiding in the cave, a soft snowfall beginning once the wind stopped howling as loudly as it had in the valley.

A stomach growled, perking ten pairs of ears as ten sets of eyes looked at the owner of the rumbling stomach.

The tan wolf smiled sheepishly at each member of the two packs.

Another stomach growled, coming from the large brown wolf; he lowered his ears slightly in embarrassment, his brother's stomach growling loudly near him.

The gray she-wolf shook her head knowingly at her friends, looking at the brown bag of meat they'd carried from the clearing. 'How much meat do we have left?' She asked, padding over to it and pulling it forward.

Four slabs of beef flopped out onto the cold floor of the cave, one lone chicken falling out after the beef slabs.

The black wolf briefly shared a look with her packsister. 'Is that all?' She wondered.

The blonde wolf nodded. 'Yeah, looks like it.' He looked past her at the snow-covered ground beyond the cave. 'I dunno if there's anything out there to hunt, either.' He added.

The white wolf straightened from sitting at the black wolf's side, slightly stretching his limbs.  
'I'll see if there's anything out there.' He offered calmly, his amber eyes meeting the garnet gaze of the male wolf.

Mitch huffed and sort of wrinkled his nose.  
'If you can try, that is; out of all of us in our pack, I'm better at hunting.' He challenged coolly.

Kiba's left ear twitched and he mirrored the blonde's expression.  
'My fur makes me blend in with the snow; you'll stick out like a sore thumb.' He retorted, his tail rising into the air habitually as he sensed his brazen motives that made his fur bristle.

He sneered.  
'Well let's see who's better at hunting then, since you're so damn confident.' He growled, his tail lifting into the air like a blonde flag as he stared the male down.

He nodded and looked down at his mate, 'We won't be long.' He assured; his tone was gentle as he met her silver gaze before he bounded forward into the snow.

The blonde wolf huffed and sprinted after his lead out of the cave, his blonde tail bouncing in the air as he kept it up like a war banner.

The black wolf watched them leave and sighed, shaking her head.  
'Typical.'

* * *

_review please. thanks! ^^_

_["Song of the Lonely Mountain" - Neil Finn, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)]_


	7. As Long as We Live, Pt2: Some Kind

_**Chapter Seven: As Long as We Live, Part Two: Some Kind (We Never Forgive)**_

* * *

An hour or so passed.

The sky was beginning to darken, tingeing the dreary gray sky a warm shade of light orange.

The rabbit flew away from the snapping jaws of the blonde wolf, hurrying into the nearest brush the wolf couldn't stick his nose in.

He swore under his breath and growled, perking his ears as the sound of bones crunching under the pressure of teeth sounded shortly as he began to walk away defeatedly.

The white wolf appeared from behind the brush, the rabbit he'd been chasing carried in the triumphant alpha's jaws as he came into view.

The blonde wolf wrinkled his nose in disgust and huffed, watching him drop the rabbit.  
'Show off.' He growled.

Kiba lifted a brow at his words, a huff escaping his mouth, his breath coming out in a soft fog.  
'I told you, it's easier for me to catch something that can't see the color of my fur.' He reminded with the patience of an old man, tilting his head slightly.

Mitch huffed again. 'Just because you're the alpha; is that where your confidence comes from? Or is it something else?' He asked pointedly, remembering the black wolf's earlier scent that stunk of the white wolf standing before him.

He scowled.  
'No, it's not because I'm the leader of my pack. It's not something you'd understand, either way.' He added, picking up the rabbit from the ground and walking away.

He bounded forward to grab the rabbit from his jaws and toss it aside, scowling at the male; he looked strong, but he felt like he could probably take him in a fair fight. ''It's not something I'd understand'? Enlighten me then, hotshot. 'Cause whatever the hell makes you so confident is pissing me off.' He growled, his lip curling.

Kiba raised his tail again, his amber eyes tightening.  
'Why does my presence bug you so much?' He demanded, his thick pelt bristling as he could smell a challenge coming on from the blonde male that seemed to detest his very being.

Mitch flashed his teeth.  
'You damn well know why. Just because you're leader doesn't mean you can choose a female that's already leading her own pack.' He spat.

Both brows lifted in slight surprise; he lowered his gaze minutely, meeting the garnet gaze of the beta.  
'She never said anything about you. She doesn't know you like her.' He said.

He looked past him at a tree, his tail lowering slightly.  
'I know.' He looked at the white wolf and huffed. 'She saved my brother and me, when we first met; I guess I feel indebted to her for taking us in. But I've seen how she looks at you, how she's looked at you since the day you and your sister came into our clearing. She looks happy with you.' He said, almost reluctantly admitting defeat.

He couldn't love her like this fearless leader could, he mused. Not if he'd claimed her as his mate, the possible future mother of his pups.

His white face softened slightly at the mention of the black wolf.  
'And I with her.' He looked at the blonde wolf again. 'Sorry, if I sort of pulled the rug from under you that way.' He added, an apologetic look appearing on his face.

Mitch smiled slightly, nodding. 'It's all right, I'll get used to it.' He mused.

Kiba nodded slightly, his tail wagging briefly. 'Right.'  
He quieted and sniffed the air, perking his ears as he looked over his shoulder.

The blonde wolf sniffed the air as well and huffed, smiling as he caught the scent of a wounded deer nearby; he sprinted past the white wolf in the direction of the deer, hopping over a small mound of snow as he went to finish off the wounded animal.

He smirked slightly after his fleeing form, picking up the rabbit from the ground.

_Kind of acts like a pup_, he mused…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::EE:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A soft '_flop_' sounded infront of her, perking her ears.

She awoke from the short doze she'd taken, looking up into the face of the white wolf.

He seemed to smile.  
'Dinner.' He offered, indicating the dead rabbit he'd dropped at her feet.

She returned the smile and nodded, watching him sink to sit on his haunches at her side out of the corner of her eye as she ripped into the dead rabbit, snapping the spine in half and offering the first half to him.  
'You caught it, and I don't mind sharing.' She pointed out calmly, her silver eyes meeting his slightly curious amber eyes.

He nodded and took his offered half, tearing into the meat and quelling the growling in his stomach.

She smiled at him, tending to her own part of the rabbit contently.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::AA::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The wolf-dog grunted as she flew after the sprinting rabbit, snapping her teeth at its hind legs and missing by a few inches each time her jaws snapped on thin air.

'_Damn it_!' She growled to herself, hearing a light bark sound before a brown wolf dove for the rabbit, his jaws clamping down on the neck and crushing the bone.

Mary skidded to a halt and looked at the bright gold eyes of the brown pup, a sore look crossing her face. 'I was gonna get it first, Toboe,' she chided.

Toboe looked sad for a minute before he dropped the dead rabbit on the ground.  
'Sorry, Mary, I didn't think,' he apologized with a soft whine of repentance, nudging the rabbit's form closer to the older hybrid's large paws.

She looked at him and her eyes softened; she nosed his cheek gently, meeting his slightly confused lantern-amber gaze.  
'It's okay, pup; try not to do it again though, okay?' She reassured.

He nodded vigorously and smiled, nosing her back. 'Okay, I won't, honest!' He declared.

She smiled gently and nudged the rabbit back to him. 'You carry it, it's your kill.' She said.

Toboe tilted his head to the side. 'But you were the one who hunted it…' He began.

Mary rolled her eyes at him. 'Toboe, you killed it, goof…' She interjected.

A loud deafening roar sounded near them, making both of them start before they whirled to see the hulking figure of a brown bear staring them down with beady black eyes that gleamed angrily at seeing wolves had invaded his territory.

The wolf-dog growled and bared her teeth, her orange eyes narrowing. 'Toboe, get moving, now; before it charges.' She barked at the pup.

Toboe watched as the bear snarled and lunged at the brave female, torn between running to the cave for his packmates and helping the kind wolf-dog.

Mary hopped out of the way as the bear lunged for her body, growling as she leaped onto its neck and dug her claws into its thick hide.

The bear snarled annoyedly and swatted his right paw at her head; the wolf-dog yelped as she fell off and rolled in the snow, landing on her side.

The brown wolf snarled as he threw himself onto the bear, his teeth grabbing its left ear and tearing it to ribbons as he dug his claws in and held onto him as he reared and roared in pain.

The gray and black wolf-dog flew at him with a short bark, her teeth ripping into the fur on his exposed neck as she tried to get at his throat.

The bear slammed back into a thick tree, making the pup yelp loud as he fell off into the snow and slapped the wolf-dog sharp across the face; she cried out as she was thrown back into a tree, her back slamming into the hard surface before she limply sank to the ground at the foot of the tree, her head spinning.

'T-Toboe…!' Mary growled as the bear turned on the disoriented brown pup…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::RR:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A loud howl sounded before a streak of black crashed into the bear from the side; the bear snarled as he reared slightly from the third wolf's crash into his ribs, his lip curling angrily as he glowered down at the furious black she-wolf.

'Nikki!' Mary exclaimed in relief.

Nikki bared her teeth and snarled, her tail in the air like a flag as she briefly looked over at the crumpled form of her friend; she released a brief bark as she leaped at the monstrous animal, clawing at his thick fur.

The bear clawed at her, dragging his claws sharply across her back; she yelped slightly but growled loud as she clung to him and ripped into his neck.

Frustrated, the larger mammal snarled loud as he smacked the she-wolf in the ribs with his free paw, making her yelp again as she bounced away into the snow.

A loud snarl rang out as a white blur hurtled into the brown bear, sharp teeth sinking deep into his neck.

The bear roared as he reared and tried to shake off the angered wolf; a gray streak leaped at his arm, his sharp claws digging deep into his shoulder.

'Toboe!' Blue rushed to the pup's side as he shook his head and looked to see Kiba and Tsume attacking the bear, Hige leaping at the larger animal as he bit down into the bear's side.

Jen looked at Mary as she straightened shakily, her icy blue eyes concerned. 'Are you all right?' She asked the younger female, Eri coming to her side.

Mary nodded and smiled at the two she-wolves. 'Yeah, thanks. Where's Nikki?' She asked, looking for the black she-wolf.

A short yelp came from Hige as the bear threw off the white wolf first, slapping the tan wolf away and shaking the gray wolf off as well, lowering to four paws and snarling at the three pissed off male wolves.

A loud snarl rang out as the black she-wolf leaped onto the bear's back, digging her claws into his flesh as she tore viciously into his spine.

The bear roared in pain, trying to shake off the pissed off female, but to no avail, slamming his side into the trees around him to vainly hope to get the she-wolf off his back.

Kiba watched him lumber closer to their scattered group and then grunted as he leaped at the bear, latching his claws into his side and tearing into his ribs.

'_Kiba_!' Eri declared alertly, perking up as a blonde streak flew at the bear with a thundering growl, his claws raking across the bear's right eye and scratching it out; the bear roared in further pain, thrashing about to try and get the three wolves off him.

Josh and Tsume flew at the distracted bear, Hige joining in; Tsume's claws tore into his back as he scrambled to ride the bear and he jerked and twisted and thrashed about.

Josh's teeth tore into the bear's exposed throat, blood flying from his bleeding jugular and dripping into the large wolf's jaws.

The bear snarled angrily, air leaving his lungs as more of his blood spilled out, painting the snow crimson; he wobbled and staggered, growling before flopping down onto the cold snow, felled at last.

Tsume hopped down from the dead bear's back, shaking his fur of snow and twigs and huffing. 'About time that damn thing is dead,' he growled.

Mitch and Josh fell away from the dead bear, also shaking their fur of snow, Hige following them.

Kiba jumped down into the five-inch-deep snow, watching the black she-wolf hop down from his back; she stumbled slightly and fell into the snow.

He went to her side, looking at the four bleeding lacerations on her back, the crimson dripping into her dark black fur; he nosed her cheek gently, lowering his ears.

Nikki blearily looked up at him and smiled. 'My back is killing me.' She grumbled before letting her head droop down.

He nuzzled her cheek, worry in his eyes.  
'Mitch, help me,' he called to the blonde male; he trotted to his side, helping the tired she-wolf onto the white wolf's back.

Kiba carried her back to the cave, the eight members of their packs following shortly at his heels.

* * *

review please; thanks!

_["Song of the Lonely Mountain" - Neil Finn, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)]_


	8. Rising Doubt, Part One

_**Chapter Eight: Rising Doubt, Part One**_

* * *

The blonde wolf looked at the sleeping she-wolf concernedly.

The white wolf looked up at him from sitting at her side, his blue eyes meeting the blonde's baby blue stare.  
"Get some sleep; she'll be fine by tomorrow." He assured him quietly.

Mitch looked down at his pack leader before nodding. "Y'think?" He wondered in the same tone.

Kiba smiled dryly. "She's a tough woman; you know that better than I do." He reminded.

He nodded slightly and returned the smile before he padded to lie down near his brother's slumbering form.

He looked down at the black wolf, stroking her fur gently and running his fingers through her thick coat. "Reckless woman," he mused softly.

She stirred slightly, perking his ears; he watched her lift her head slightly and open her silver eyes, looking up into his relieved and scolding greenish-blue gaze; a wry smile formed on her lips. "I can hear you, y'know." She teased softly.

Kiba smiled and stroked her hair, a soft huff escaping him. "You're one reckless wolf, d'you know that?" He remarked, his tone scolding.

Nikki smiled again and sat up then; a growl escaped her as she hugged her stomach, closing her eyes against the dull throb of pain that radiated from her back. "Shit, that hurt." She growled.

He frowned and gently pulled her to sit in his lap, her back to his warm chest.  
"Your wounds are still healing, genius; take it easy." He scolded.

She nodded and sat forward, looking about them to see each member of their packs sleeping soundly in huddled balls of fur, a wry smile forming on her lips.

Kiba eyed the dried smudges of blood on her bandaged back, looking at her. "Thank you, for saving the pup earlier." He said quietly, perking her ears.

Nikki shrugged, ignoring a slight grimace from straining the muscles in her scarred back.  
"It's something I would've done either way; sorry if I worried you in the process." She added, looking back at him and allowing an apologetic look to cross her beautiful face.

He smiled softly and shook his head.  
"I'm starting to get used to you worrying me." He mused; she laughed quietly, making him smile again.

Nikki gingerly leaned back into his chest, letting him wrap his arms around her waist and hold her close; his warm body heat was a relaxing remedy to her healing scars.  
Kiba smiled slightly at her, elated that she was in his arms again while still feeling like he should be half-worried for her injuries.

She fell asleep then, perking his ears; he made a face and sighed a little, holding her close as he started to fall asleep as well…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::MM::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A warm nose nudged his cheek, rousing him.

He peered up with one amber eye at the black-furred face of his mate, her silver eyes gentle as her tail wagged slightly.

She watched him yawn and then curl up into a tighter ball; she pouted, huffing before she growled and pushed on him, rolling him onto his back.

Kiba blinked, slightly startled, looking up at the laughing face of the black she-wolf.

Nikki wagged her tail and smiled, blinking when he sat up to nuzzle her cheek, his tongue licking her ear sweetly.

He smiled lazily at the she-wolf. 'I see you're chipper, so your wounds must've healed.' He mused, grunting slightly when she flopped onto him and landed on his chest.

She nodded. 'Yeah, they did.' Her silver eyes softened to resemble melted stars. 'Thanks for keeping me warm, last night. It really helped.' She added quietly.

Kiba nodded and nuzzled her again, his wet nose tickling the fur of her ear as he inclined his shaggy head upward into her upper cheek.  
'It's what mates do, isn't it?' He remarked gently, seeing her smile humbly.

Nikki nodded again, a soft growl rumbling in the back of her throat as she rolled him to his back again, pinning him with her paws on his shoulders. 'Among other things.' She replied lightly, her tail wagging in the air.

He rolled his eyes, making her laugh; he glanced around them to see the cave was vacant.  
'Where're the others?' He wondered as she settled onto his chest calmly.

She shrugged. 'The boys went hunting, and I think the girls joined them; you were still sleeping, so I waited for you to wake up.' She explained.

Kiba nodded, looking up at her gently. 'A real marvel of a wolf, you are.' He mused, making a warm heat descend on her face as she lowered her gaze humbly; he grinned easily up at her humbled silver gaze. 'You look comfortable lying up there.' He added, seeing her look at him.

Nikki huffed and returned the grin, wagging her tail slowly. 'I do, huh? I'm surprised you don't have me on my back, already; knowing your '_dominance_' motives…' She mused.

He smirked gently at her hint and nosed her cheek.  
'Your back is still tender, y'know; dominating you with your scars still tender isn't the smartest thing right now.' He pointed out.

Nikki shrugged and nodded, finding that she wasn't hurt too bad, shifting to her human guise and looking down at him. "Such a gentleman." She sighed.

Kiba also shifted, smiling wryly at her and holding onto her hips. "Not always." He muttered, his hand on her thigh groping her ass.

She yelped slightly before scowling down at him, her cheeks reddening. "Okay, I take that back: such a **horny** gentleman." She growled.

He chuckled, running a hand through her hair.  
"There's my girl." He mused lightly, settling back onto the cold cave floor.

Nikki smiled fondly at his relaxed posture, being careful of pressing down on his chest as she moved to lower her mouth onto his, kissing him lovingly.

Kiba closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist again, his body easily adjusting to her toppling form as he kissed back, hearing her chuckle softly.

She crawled onto him and kissed again, holding onto his strong shoulders.

He squeezed her hips and kissed deeper, almost feeling the heat from her lithe body radiate from being so very close to his own body.

Nikki shivered and ran her fingers through his wild hair, the pool of want in her belly burning now with the familiar want the wolf in her whined for.

Kiba looked up at her as she pulled back to pant softly, her blue eyes hazy and tender.

He cupped her cheek gently, letting her hold his hand to her cheek as he looked up at her with warm glacier-colored eyes.  
"I love you." He said quietly, perking her ears.  
Her cheeks reddened at hearing those three simple words be voiced by a wolf that was too handsome, too perfect to be real, say to her; she smiled softly, holding his hand to her cheek. "I love you, too." She replied gently.

"And I'd _love_ it if you two wouldn't mate **again** when there's fresh food to be had." A gruff voice said near them, making both alphas look up to see the hunting party had returned, Tsume in the lead; he scowled his normal scowl at the two leaders, seeing their faces color the same shade of red in embarrassment.

Nikki scrambled off Kiba's body, almost reluctant to leave him, straightening to her feet as the scent of freshly killed deer filled her nose. "Coulda been gone longer, y'know." She growled stiffly, her arms crossing at her chest as her mate straightened at her side.

Kiba shot a look at his smug sister's face, clearing his throat. "It took nine of you to grab one deer?" He wondered, hoping to change subject from the fact that the both of them had almost become a public spectacle infront of their pack.

Josh huffed and jerked a thumb at the four females.  
"The girls slowed us down; Eri was the first to scare the damn thing away." He declared.

"Me!? Don't give him that shit, you oversized lummox!" Eri snapped, flustered with her hunting partner.

Jen punched him in the arm, scowling patiently.  
"Eri's got a point, don't give Kiba that crap; when the hell're you gonna learn to not act like an overgrown pup?" She scolded.

"If anyone's actin' like a pup, it's Mitch; he was the one who chased down that stupid ermine." Josh retorted, dragging his brother into it, earning a scowl from the younger wolf.

"Quit acting so holy; the both of you were chasing that damn rodent." Blue put in waspishly, miffed with being the blame for their slowed process of killing the deer.

Nikki rolled her eyes and sighed. "**The point** is that you caught something. Good; we'll need it to continue." She looked at her mate. "You know which way we're headed?" She wondered.

Kiba nodded to her. "Yeah; we need to head north. There's someone I need to talk with." He replied.

Eri lifted a brow at her brother's words. "'Someone' who?" She wondered, trying to recall their previous journey's path.

He looked at her, glancing at the gray male. "Zoli." He said.

"'Zoli'?" Blue questioned, sharing in her look-a-like's slight confusion.

"Why _him_? Or don't you remember what happened _the last time_ we ran across his pack?" Tsume asked pointedly, looking at the younger male sharply.

Kiba looked determined again, a familiar sight to the older wolf.  
"He showed us the way to Cheza's old home, last time. With luck, the tunnel we used hasn't caved in." He explained.

"For the gods' sakes, don't start with that again…" Hige began with a groan.

"Who's Cheza?" Mitch piped up, slightly frustrated that they –that is to say, he and his pack—were left out of the loop.

"She was a girl created by the nobles out of lunar flowers." Eri answered, her voice sort of subdued as she recalled their final struggle to open Paradise.

Nikki frowned at her mate. "So she was basically a **human**." She mused, her blue eyes meeting his.

Kiba returned the frown.  
"No, she was a **flower**. And she was the one who was supposed to lead us to Paradise." His gaze saddened slightly at the memory.

She looked away absently before she huffed. "Well it's not like we're going to run into her any time soon, right?" She asked, turning stubborn and determined, stirring him from the brief nostalgia that gripped him.

He shook his head. "Not as far as I know."

Nikki nodded and looked at her pack.  
"Then that settles it. We'll eat now, and then set out towards your friend's place. With luck, we'll hopefully get somewhere after that." She stated, looking at him again.

Kiba nodded, the determination returning to his eyes. "Right." He smiled a little for her.

She kissed his cheek, smirking. "You're the male here, you eat first." She said.

He smirked back and started to eat the deer first.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::NN:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The gray wolf trotted to run alongside her leader as she fell to running at his left hip.

'Hey, you sure about this?' She asked, perking the black wolf's ears.

'About what?' She returned, stirring from her thoughts.

'About the whole Paradise thing. You didn't seem too happy about hearing about that girl…' She wondered.

'She's in the past, Jenni. If anything happens, it's my fault for being an idiot, okay?' She growled, quieting the lanky wolf as she looked at her squarely.

Jen nodded slightly, her ears lowering briefly; she was never one to fear Nikki, but she respected her enough to listen to her when she was being serious.  
'Okay. I'm just asking, only because I know how you are.' She replied, her voice subdued ever so slightly.

Nikki smiled briefly at her friend. 'I know you are, and I'm glad for that. Thanks.' She nodded.

Kiba glanced back at the two females as the lanky wolf fell back to run next to Blue, looking at his mate as she flanked him again.  
'Problems?' He wondered.

She looked at him and huffed, a smirk curling her lip. 'Nothin' of your concern, love.' She bumped his hip with her own.  
'Quit worrying, okay? For me.' She requested gently, her silver eyes softening when they clashed with his concerned amber orbs.

He sighed softly and returned the hip-bump. 'Okay.' He replied…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::TT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The long lonely bridge that led to the island city in the center of the lake looked longer now that they stood at the beginning of it.

The wind whipped at her hair, the cold chill of the mountains still clinging to the crisp breeze that howled softly about the large pack.

"So that's the place, huh?" The blonde wolf wondered rather gruffly, the cold breeze nipping at his face as he placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

"Yeah." The gray wolf nodded.

She sniffed the air and frowned slightly.  
"Let's move, before it gets any colder." She growled, bounding forward onto the bridge with her tail in the air.

He followed shortly at her heels, his own tail held high as they both led the charge.

* * *

_review please. thanks! ^^_


	9. Rising Doubt, Part Two: Erased Doubt

_**Chapter Nine: Rising Doubt, Part Two: Erased Doubt**_

* * *

She hopped down from the tall fence on the other side, landing gently on the sloshy ground despite the small 'clack' sound her boot heels made when hitting the solid concrete.

He landed next to her, straightening as the rest of their pack followed, some tripping on the slosh and others landing expertly.

"Looks pretty dodgy to me; some home your friend has." Jen mused quietly, earning a brief look from her look-a-like.

"Doesn't look like it's changed much since we first came here," Hige commented aloud, his arms folded behind his head as the white wolf started walking, the black wolf following shortly at his heels.

Eri rolled her eyes. "You were almost turned into fried mutton last time we came, _of course_ it hasn't changed." She remarked.

Blue eyed the tan wolf at her side.  
"They tried to eat you or what..?" She wondered, a thin brow lifted curiously.

Hige smiled cheesily at her. "Well, not in so many words…" He laughed weakly.

"It's a long story." Kiba put in calmly, saving his friend from having to explain the embarrassing story to his mate.

She nodded and shot the pudgy male a look, her eyes saying '_you'll explain this to me later_'; he smiled weakly at her persistent gaze, looking away.

The scent of wolf fumigated her nostrils; she grabbed his sleeve, looking at him. "I think I found your friend." She declared, quieting the rest of their pack as her blue eyes looked up at his own blue eyes.

He nodded slightly and took her hand, leading the way further along.

Sure enough, six or seven wolves were standing around a burn barrel, the flames from the fire burning brilliantly in the dying twilight's light as the embers danced vainly before the gathered pack.

She paused when he stopped walking, her blue eyes looking at the pack.

One of the wolves paused in talking to one of his packmates, turning to look over at the pack of eleven that stood behind him; she looked at him, her blue eyes locking on his wise gold eyes, briefly glancing to the long scar running vertically down his left cheek.

The gold-eyed wolf's eyes widened slightly at recognizing the pure white wolf that stood in the lead, his gold eyes locking on the white wolf's amber eyes.  
He smirked slowly. "Well there's a face I haven't seen in a while. It's been a long time." He declared, moving away from his pack to greet the younger alpha.

Kiba nodded slightly, the tenseness in his shoulders easing slightly at seeing the older alpha had no intention of hurting his pack or him. "Yeah, it has, Zoli." He replied.

Zoli nodded slightly back and looked at the black she-wolf standing next to the young leader, meeting her calculating yet cautious silver eyes. "Who're you?" He wondered.

"Nikki." She answered calmly, lowering her tail minutely from being in the air like a flag, meeting his gold eyes brazenly.

He huffed and then smirked slightly, easily recognizing both the air of an alpha ontop of the faint aroma of a mated wolf from her.  
"Well, I'll be damned; never seen a female lead a pack, around here." He mused.

She returned the huff and a smirk flickered across her face. "I'd like to think I do well holding that position." She remarked.

"Zoli, who're all these kids?" A gruff bark sounded behind the older male, earning all three sets of eyes to look to the owner of the intruding voice.

A stocky wolf with a fat snout stood as he came closer to his alpha's side; his bug-like eyes widened when seeing the rebellious-looking wolf with greenish-blue eyes.  
He smirked and huffed wryly. "Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Hotshot. Been a while, hasn't it?" He growled.

Kiba bristled and looked at him stonily. "Guess it has." He remarked in a stiff growl, the memories of that night flooding back to him.

"Moss, back off." Zoli snapped at the stocky male, looking at him sharply.

He huffed. "Cool it, Zoli, it's not like I'm gonna hurt the kid. Not again, at least. Those wounds ever stop bleeding, boy?" He shot back, looking at the bristled young wolf goadingly.

Nikki bristled at his words. "What the hell **did** you do to him, last time?" She wondered, her tone soft despite the rising annoyance aimed at the stocky male.

Moss huffed and eyed the she-wolf, looking her up and down. "It ain't any of your damn business, you whore; leave it at that." He snorted.

He saw stars the next second as her fist crashed into his nose; he staggered back, making the rest of the wolves gathered behind them stand to their feet.

He rubbed his bleeding nose gingerly, glaring up at the black wolf that stood tall, her fur bristling like mad as she flashed her teeth, her tail like a black flag.  
"You…"

"Call me that _again_ and I _swear_ that I'll beat whatever shit _is left_ out of you. **Got it, frog face**?" She snarled coldly, her blue eyes shifting to look like broken silver blades as she glowered at him.

Moss snorted the blood from his nostrils, huffing. "Bitch." He growled.

"What was that..?" She spat, her claws growing as her fists tightened.

Kiba grabbed a fistful of her parka and pulled her back from doing more damage, ignoring the sharp curse she shot at the stocky wolf. "**Enough**." He snapped at her, his blue eyes stony as he met her angered silver gaze.

Nikki glared up at him and snorted, shoving him away roughly before she took off at a sprint down an alley, her tail bobbing in the air like a war banner.

He watched her leave and sort of sighed. _Damn it_, he thought.

"That's some mate of yours." Zoli muttered, half admiring and half patronizing as he watched the female sprint away from the alcove.

Kiba looked at him and nodded, smirking slightly. "Yeah, she is. Zoli, that tunnel you showed us last time, is it still there?" He wondered.

The older wolf lifted both brows. "You're trying to get to Paradise again?" He guessed.

He nodded again. "Yeah, we are." He replied.

He huffed. "Well, you kids are still young, so I guess it's more power to you. But yeah, it's still there." His gold eyes followed the alley the black wolf had disappeared through. "You might want to catch her before you leave, though." He added.

Kiba followed his line of vision and then looked at him again. "Thanks." He said, turning to follow the black wolf's scent.

Tsume watched him leave and sighed. "I guess we'll meet him there, then. Come on." He declared, walking past the pack of seven and leading the others after his lead…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::BB:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The water looked dark.

She dipped the toe of her boot into the murky-looking depths, watching a ripple appear beneath her feet.

Her fur bristled slightly as she thought back to his subconscious dodge to the question referring to that girl.

Was she worth his time? Did he see her like he saw that girl? Or worse, was she that girl's _replacement_?

She clucked her tongue and spat at the water, creating another ripple in the surface; she hugged her arms and scowled at the distant horizon.  
"_Jackass_." She growled softly.

His scent fumigated her nostrils not even a second after she spoke the profanity aloud, making her fall silent.

"If you're referring to that fat-snouted wolf, then yeah, he is a jackass." His calm voice said, as he walked closer to her side.

She briefly glanced at him. "I didn't get you in trouble, did I?" She wondered flatly.

He lifted a brow at her tone, sitting down next to her on the ledge.  
"No, you didn't. Though I'm pretty sure you pissed off that Moss guy; he's probably going to be holding his broken nose for a few weeks after you punched him." He mused quietly.

She huffed and smirked wryly. "Better him than you." She muttered, perking his ears.

He looked at her with slight confusion, tilting his head to the side. "Something wrong?" He asked.

She kicked at the water, sending a few ripples shattering the once-calm surface.  
"Cheza, that girl you mentioned. How did you feel, towards her?" She asked slowly, further confusing him.

He frowned slightly and looked at the dying twilight. "Why're you asking?" He returned.

"Just answer the question. Please." She growled softly, her voice brittle.

He watched the ripples disappear slowly into the water. "She was the one who was supposed to lead us to Paradise. I felt like I had to protect her, from anything or anyone that even thought of taking away the future we – the pack, I mean – strived so hard for." He explained steadily, his eyes saddening as he remembered those last hours he'd spent ontop of the mountain.

"You didn't love her." She stated softly, her voice a whisper.

He looked at her, seeing that her black hair was cast as a veil so he couldn't see her eyes. "I didn't love her like I love you." He said simply.

A shiver rolled down her spine; the wolf in her whined at hearing those sweet words.  
She scowled at the stars that were beginning to appear in the clear night's darkness.

"Am I her replacement, then? Because if I look like her in your eyes, you can go find Paradise on your own and leave me to rot." She growled, her tone holding a frosty edge to it that meant she was pissed.

"God, no. I'm not leaving you behind, Nikki." He snapped, perking her ears; she looked at him slowly, her eyes distant and slightly pained; his insides recoiled at seeing that she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

His tone softened. "You're not even close to her. You're strong and kind and passionate; you're the most gorgeous wolf I've ever met! I don't have to worry about you defending yourself; especially not after that issue with the bear."  
He smirked wryly, reaching to stroke her cheek; she flinched, lowering her gaze when he cupped her cheeks in his larger hands.  
"I love you, and I'll be damned if I ever think of leaving you behind. We both agreed to go to Paradise, and I swear that I'll take you there." He promised stubbornly, a kind light shining in his glacier-colored eyes that made her tremble.

Nikki closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, pulling him closer to wrap her arms around his neck and hold onto him, the wolf in her whining for its mate.  
Kiba groaned softly at having her in his arms again, squeezing her hips tight as he buried his nose into her neck, glad to inhale her sweet scent the wolf in him longed to be lost in.

She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his hand slowly rub her back.  
"I love you too. Gods know I do. And I'm sorry for doubting you." She apologized softly, curling up better in his arms.

He chuckled softly and stroked her hair, tracing a finger down her spine.  
"It's okay; though I have to admit, I was pretty proud of you when you decked that bastard in his fat nose." He admitted in the same tone.

Nikki laughed weakly, looking up at him with a wry look on her face. "That was because he called me a slut; ontop of hearing that he'd hurt you, before." She mused, punching him gently in the chest.

Kiba chuckled and held her outstretched fist, uncurling her fingers in his gentle grip. "That was the second reason I was proud." He mused gently, seeing her blush slightly.

She rolled her eyes habitually and rolled him onto his back, hearing a soft grunt escape him when his back hit the cold ground.  
"Your ego's swelling, wolf boy." She teased, her tail wagging in the air.

He smiled up at her, stroking her cheek.  
"It's because I have a gorgeous mate to be proud of." He remarked coolly, seeing her cheeks redden.

Nikki chuckled and smirked, ducking to lick his neck sweetly, feeling him shiver slightly at being at the mercy of her teeth.  
"Romantic." She giggled, smiling at him.

Kiba returned the smirk, groping her ass, making her squeak; he chuckled and grinned lazily up at her. "Had that coming, wolf girl." He remarked simply.

She huffed and pinned him with a soft growl, licking his neck again, teasingly; he shivered again and almost whined but kept his mouth shut, a pink flush staining his cheeks. "You look ten times as handsome when you're blushing." She teased in a sultry tone, making the wolf in him growl in want.

"The others are waiting for us." He pointed out, holding her hips and letting her lie on him despite his words.

Nikki pouted and ducked to kiss him hard, lovingly; he tried to hold her in place when she pulled back to grin slyly down at him.  
"Next time, lover boy." She teased.

Kiba growled softly at her tease, groping her again. "You're gonna owe me big for this." He warned.

She smiled lazily and sighed. "You said that the last time before we mated." She reminded, reluctantly getting off him to stand, offering a hand of help to him.

He took her hand and stood as well, rubbing the back of his head gingerly.  
"And I'll keep saying it. Come on, we'd better find the others before they send out a search party." He sighed, reluctant to let the moment between them slip through his fingers as he took her hand in his.

She nodded and smiled at him, kissing him softly. "Let's go." She mused, letting him lead the way through the darkness at a swift run, her own paws following shortly at his heels until she flanked him once again.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::LL:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

His stomach growled.

The chocolate-colored wolf looked through the bag again, grimacing at seeing there wasn't much food to be had.

"Great, no meat; _**we'll staaarrrrvvve**_!" Hige whined, placing his arm over his eyes in dramatics.

The five she-wolves sweatdropped at his mock-dramatics.

Nikki looked at the white wolf.  
"Did you guys find some place we could get food?" She wondered; food wasn't one of her top priorities, but if they didn't find it soon enough, she'd be the first to silence the pudgy wolf's whining.

Kiba nodded and looked past the cliff's edge. "There's a village down there; from what Toboe and Mitch saw, it looks like it's a mining village. The scent of human basically fumigates that whole patch of land." He informed.

Tsume looked at the white wolf. "So do we just pass through or steal food from them?" He wondered.

He looked past the cliff's edge again.  
"It'd be less of an alarm on the humans if we sent two of us in there to get food and supplies." He stated, perking the blonde wolf's ears.

"There's a brilliant plan." He mused with slight sarcasm, meeting the white wolf's gaze. "Who's going, is the better question." He mused.

Kiba nodded to his mate.  
"We'll go." He replied, seeing her nod. "We won't be long; stay here, and if there's trouble, one of us will give a signal." He instructed, nodding to both his and Nikki's second in command.

Nikki smiled at her pack.  
"Try not to eat each other, will ya?" She wondered lightly, winking to her mate before hopping over the cliff edge; he rolled his eyes and followed her lead…

* * *

_review please. thanks! ^^_


	10. Don't Fear (What You Can't See)

_**Chapter Ten: Don't Fear (What You Can't See)**_

* * *

She paused short of coming into view of the village's tall gate, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back.

He looked at her curiously. "What's up?" He asked.

She threw a look at the gate. "They'll get suspicious if we just waltz in like nothing's wrong; if you carry me on your back, they'll think something's wrong with me, y'know, like if I'm sick." She explained, a slight smile on her lips.

He nodded and returned the smile, kissing her. "Good thinking. Climb on, then." He urged, crouching to the ground.

She smiled at him and climbed onto his back, holding onto his neck as he straightened and carried her to the front of the gate.

He released her ankles of one hand to use the large brass knocker, the metal doorbell 'klanging' loudly.

"Who goes there!?" A gruff voice barked overhead; he looked up at the blotchy face of a man that looked older than him, the man's beady eyes looked down at the wolf carrying his mate.

"My fiancé is ill; please, we've been traveling for days and she's collapsed because of dehydration!" Kiba explained in a loud voice, slightly hurting her ears at hearing him sound so loud.

"My gods, she looks ill indeed!" A woman's voice declared before a woman came to stand next to the man, looking down at the "weary travelers" with matronly eyes. "Let them in!" She declared.

The gates opened then, allowing the two wolves entrance into the village.

At least five women swarmed around them, slightly startling him, before he watched as they flocked mostly around the she-wolf on his back; he gently let her down, letting them inspect her as he looked at each of them and held his breath, his nerves tensing.

"Poor girl; is she with child?" One of the women asked, looking at the slightly tensed wolf.

Kiba's face colored red and he shook his head. "No, she's not; just tired, that's all." He declared, clearing his throat from being caught off guard by the question.

"Very well, then; follow me." The woman who'd allowed them in declared, leading him away further into the village.

He lifted her into his arms, letting her curl up against his chest as he carried her and followed the woman.

She showed them a room in what looked like an old building, taking bath towels and assorted things for the room before letting him carry the girl inside the small room, placing the things near the door for them.

"Please let us know if either of you need anything." She declared, bowing slightly to the handsome young man before closing the door behind her wake as she disappeared back into the corridor, leaving them at last.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::TT::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Nikki sighed in relief as she opened her eyes and felt glad that the woman had left them, looking up at him and smiling. "You did beautifully." She mused lightly.

Kiba smiled at her and gently set her down, shrugging. "It was your brilliant plan in the first place, remember?" He replied.

She nodded and smiled again, looking about the room; it had very little, save a large window that showed they were on the second story of the building, a mattress that lay on the carpeted floor, and a closet.  
_Talk about dismal_, she thought.

He sat down against the window. "So how are we going to get food, exactly? I doubt they'll let us steal from them…" He asked, crossing his legs Indian-style and looking up at her curiously.

She thought for a second. "Hmm… Well, from what I can imagine, they'll probably give us food when we leave some time tomorrow. Hopefully that'll be enough." She mused aloud, shrugging her parka off to not feel so hot wearing the heavily-padded coat.

He chuckled slightly. "Yeah, hopefully; knowing the guys, they'll be starving for food." He mused.

She chuckled as well and smirked. "Hopefully they won't have eaten each other by the time we get back." She replied.

Kiba returned the smirk, the woman's earlier question about her being with child sending a small shiver down his spine as he lowered his gaze to his jeans.  
_What if she_ **was** _with child_? He thought.

His eyes softened slightly as he could only imagine Nikki bearing his pups, seeing her look up at him and smile lightly from having the pups scramble around and wrestle around her feet.  
She waved her hand infront of his face then, stirring him from his thoughts. "Hey, hello? You in there?" She wondered, perking his ears.

Kiba blushed slightly and shook his head of whining pups, nodding. "Yeah, I'm okay; sorry, just thinking." He smiled sheepishly.

Nikki sweatdropped and rolled her eyes. "About what, pray tell?" She asked.

He looked at her and sort of smiled. "What that woman said, about you being with child." He replied, seeing her blink before her cheeks colored red.

She ran a hand through her hair, shuddering at the idea. "And what'd you think on it..?" She asked, looking up at him from beneath her lashes as she bowed her head.

Kiba shrugged. "Just an epiphany. I mean, I told you that I'd take you to Paradise, and I fully intend to keep that promise." He reminded, his blue eyes gaining that determined look that made her shiver as he stared at her.

Nikki nodded and smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're still dead-set on that."  
She walked forward to crouch before him and kiss him sweetly. "Besides, I want to find Paradise too, before we even think of pups." She mused softly, letting him hold her face in his hands.

He smiled and kissed back, running a hand through her straight hair.  
"Good, I'm glad. Though if I remember correctly, you left me hanging back on the island." He mused, a wolfish look appearing in his handsome features, as he smirked at her.

She rolled her eyes and smirked back, sinking to lie in his lap, hugging his neck.  
"I was fine on leaving that place, and doing anything else while there didn't sit well with me at the time." She returned, blushing slightly when he kissed a line down her neck to her shoulder blade.

Kiba grinned softly when she squirmed at his kisses, lightly dragging his teeth over the skin of her throat, his canines coming out.  
"The point is that you owe me. **Big**." He reminded in a soft growl, feeling her slacken in his arms.

Nikki fought a whine of submission at feeling his teeth so close to puncturing the skin of her throat, her fingers digging into his jacket. "K-Kiba," she began, inclining her head to one side to bare her throat to his whim.

He ran a finger down her spine, feeling her shudder. "Mm?" He wondered, knowing that with each torturous gesture he did to her would make her practically melt with a searing want he shared in.

She shivered and allowed a soft whine. "D-don't do that," she growled softly, blushing when he sank his teeth into her neck and he marked her.

Kiba chuckled softly at hearing her protest, rubbing her back slowly as he licked the bite mark clean. "You've never complained about it before." He remarked simply, feeling her nails claw into his back as he licked slowly.

Nikki groaned softly and pouted at him. "W-what happened to putting off having pups?" She demanded quietly, blushing slightly.

He gently rolled her onto her back, making her blink and slightly yelp; he pinned her by her shoulders gently, looking down at her baffled face.  
"I never said I wanted pups _that_ bad. Besides, you look exceptionally beautiful when you're down there." He replied calmly, his hands on her shoulders minutely squeezing.

Her cheeks reddened at hearing that she looked best when she was under him, a shiver rolling down her spine.  
"So, no pups. Just everything else but that." She decided in a surprisingly calm voice, looking up at his gentle eyes, hearing the wolf in her whine loud at being so close to feeling its mate once again.

Kiba nodded. "Everything under the sun." He replied in a likewise calm voice.

Nikki blushed and nodded slightly, lifting her head to kiss him hungrily.

He groaned again and pinned her, kissing back just as hungrily, feeling her hips grind against his; he growled softly at her eagerness, wagging his tail in the air as the wolf in him howled for her.

She clawed at his back, moaning softly as he grinded with her, blushing more as she felt his throbbing manhood briefly meet her own warmth once or twice between their gyrating hips.

_No pups; all the sex you want, just no pups. Sounds fair, right?_ She wondered…

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::AA::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

If the scent of a claimed wolf didn't smell as strong in the first instance, it surely did now.

He brushed some strands of black hair from her cheek, looking down at the sleepy she-wolf curled up against his chest with gentle and satisfied eyes.

She looked down at her small belly and lowered a hand to rub it absently as the fleeting idea of pups entered her mind.

The idea of birthing his pups sent a shiver down her spine; of course she'd feel honored that he'd chosen her to bear his pups, but she'd mostly feel scared and worried.

What if she wasn't a good enough mother? Would he hate her for it? Would he not love her anymore? She shuddered slightly.

Kiba was too good for her; he could mate with any female he wanted. She didn't deserve his kindness, his sweet kisses, or his protective embraces.

He kissed the crown of her head, stirring her from her thoughts.  
"You all right?" He wondered softly, his voice breaching the calm silence of the night.

She nodded. "I'm okay." She lied.

He frowned slightly. "You're not good at lying, are you?" He wondered, perking her ears.

Her cheeks warmed and she made a face. "Not exactly." She remarked.

Kiba made a face.  
"Tell me." He requested patiently.  
Nikki shook her head, looking up at him.  
"What's to tell?" She wondered.

He frowned again. "Nik, something's bugging you and I want to know what it is." He stated.

She gingerly sat up from lying with him, her core muscles aching dully as she sat forward and looked out through the window at the darkened world beyond their room.  
"I guess I'm… afraid." She said softly, perking his ears.

He sat up with her, his glacier-colored eyes on her face.  
"Afraid of what? I'll protect you, you know that; I won't let anyone hurt you, Nikki." He stated stubbornly.

Nikki shook her head. "It's not that, Kiba." She hugged her knees absently.  
"I'm afraid that if we have pups, I won't be a good enough mother." She whispered softly.

Kiba blinked before his gaze softened and he shook his head.  
"You're worried over _that_? Nikki, you'll be fine. You'll be a wonderful mother; I know you will." He reassured gently, earning a sideways glance from the black wolf.

She leaned against his shoulder, letting him wrap his arms around her. "You think so?" She wondered.

He nodded and nuzzled her cheek. "Of course I do. You'll be just as beautiful as you already are. Besides, the girls will be there to help you out, too. They trust you enough to let you lead them this far." He reminded quietly.

Nikki nodded slightly and smiled at his reminder, holding onto his chest. "You have no idea about how much I love you right now." She sighed, hearing him chuckle softly.

Kiba smiled and rested his cheek on the side of her head. "I love you, too; a lot." He replied.

She looked up at him and smiled, her blue eyes shining in the darkness.  
"Enough to forgive me for being so insecure and acting like a blubbering idiot?" She wondered.

He rolled his eyes habitually, pushing her back down onto the mattress, seeing her blink in surprise as he felt her legs spread out of reflex, her ankles entangling with his calves.  
"Definitely more than that." He chuckled, his blue-green eyes kind and warm, reminding her of melting glaciers.

Nikki smiled up at him, sitting forward, making him roll back to sit on his knees as she folded her arms behind his neck, letting him pull her to sit in his lap.  
"I'm glad for that, then." She mused, pressing her lips to his own tenderly.

Kiba hugged her waist, kissing back deeply, feeling her shiver reflexively.  
"Easy girl, I thought you were sore." He warned softly, watching her pull away reluctantly to lift herself in his arms and hold onto his shoulders, swiveling her hips over his slightly throbbing extremity, feeling the muscles in his pelvis tense up as he kept an eye on her.

She shrugged. "I'm perfectly fine now." She replied, kissing him again as she sank down, a gasp escaping her followed by a moan.

He growled and grabbed for her hips, digging his claws into her skin. "S-so I noticed. Great _Moon_, you'll be the death of me." He groaned, moaning when she rolled her hips.

Nikki laughed softly, smiling at him beneath black lashes as she started to ride.  
"Well, at least you'll die happy, babe." She mused calmly, the rest of her remark being drowned out by a low moan that rose up her throat when he shoved in exceptionally hard.

Kiba moaned loud when she squeezed the hell out of him, growling as he rammed in and made her see stars in the back of her head, seeing her throw her head back and close her eyes in bliss as she let him take more control of her eager body and impale her hard.

Their combined moans and cries rose into the air as the familiar scent of a mated wolf fumigated the room once more.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::FF::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He fastened the bag against his shoulder, the scent of cooked meat wafting from the bag on his back making the wolf in him wrinkle its nose as it longed for raw meat again.  
She lightly embraced the woman who'd given them a room, smiling at her and bowing a little. "Thanks again, for letting us rest here." She said.

The woman nodded, her matronly eyes meeting the she-wolf's blue gaze. "Please be careful out there; both of you." She replied.

She looked over at her ready mate and smirked.  
"We'll do fine, thank you." She said with a kind smile before she trotted to his side.

The humans that'd first greeted the couple waved them off as they walked out through the tall entrance gate.

The gates closed behind them; both wolves sighed in relief once they were far enough from the village.

Kiba looked down at her, a wry look crossing his handsome face.  
"Your acting was pretty good; kind of wondering if I should be worried about that." He mused.

Nikki rolled her eyes and affectionately punched his arm.  
"Don't be; I doubt I'd ever have to use it on you. Especially if I can already make you do anything at this point. And I mean **anything**." She teased with a smirk.

He returned the eye-rolling and blushed briefly, hearing her giggle.  
"That goes double for you, wolf princess. Moreso when you're under me." He remarked, seeing her cheeks redden.

She smiled and sighed, folding her arms behind her head. "No complaints here." She said, looking up at him with softened eyes.  
"Though last night was nice. It's been a while since we did anything, just you and me." She admitted.

Kiba looked down at her and his own eyes softened; he wrapped an arm around her waist, squeezing.  
"Yeah, it _was_ pretty nice. Haven't slept that good in a long time." He mused.

Nikki elbowed him and chuckled.  
"What sleep? **You** let me have my way most of the night." She remarked.

He chuckled as well and smirked. "That's true; though I did get my way half of the time we went at it." He said thoughtfully.

She smirked as well and nodded.  
"Lover boy." She teased softly, seeing him laugh…

* * *

_review please. thanks! :'D_

_sorry for the slight hiatus on this story._  
_been busy and sheeet but i'm back and hope to make this story out to be as legit as everything else that i've written._

_**shoutout to Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 for reviewing. thanks a million! xDD**_


End file.
